Food Porn Friday - Super Linda

When I go out to eat, I often indulge even if just a little. I know I should eat healthier most times, but I often save that for eating at home. I was out to lunch with a former work colleague after not seeing him for over a year, and I suggested Super Linda in TriBeCa for a quick lunch.

My choice for that day's lunch was the tuna burger. 

Tuna Burger cooked medium, with pineapple, pickled onion and chipotle aioli with cole slaw on the side

While the burger could have been seasoned a little more, pineapple will make almost anything taste better. I loved that I got a much needed infusion of vegetables from the cole slaw. There was a little too much dressing, but I was happy to have cabbage, carrots, fennel and other crispy veggies to munch on. 

I felt pretty good that this time I'd made the right (read: healthy) choice.

Do you indulge when you eat out, or are you good about eating healthy all of the time? 

Super Linda

109 West Broadway 

New York, NY 

Happy Weekend!

Food Porn Friday - Alfajor

I'm hoping by this point in our trip that I will have eaten a whole bunch of these:

via Be Different..Act Normal

via We Heart It

At its most basic level, an alfajor are two biscuits with a filling most commonly of dulce de leche, a mousse or jam. If I've done my job as a food blogger well, then I hope I've eaten a lot of these by today. A lot. :)

Have you ever had an alfajor? What do you think of them?

Happy Weekend!

Food Porn Friday - Food Randoms from the IPhone

For this week's Food Porn Friday, I thought I would show you some pics from a few places that I've been to in the past several months. In a few instances, I'm not in the mood to write a post just yet, or I didn't have my camera with me, hence the IPhone reference. Sometimes I just want to enjoy my meal without the thought of a blog post lingering. :) Also, I know that I don't always give context for who and why I'm eating where I am, so I thought I would this time. There's often a story involved. :)

I met Husband J after work for a beer, and he wanted some more of Luke's Lobster. This is the Taste of Maine item on their menu, which includes a half lobster roll, half crab roll, half shrimp roll, a bag of very good potato chips and a drink (in my case, a ginger soda).

A scallop dish from Ellabess on New Year's Eve. Husband J and I went out for an early dinner, then came home by 11. I think we were both in bed by 12:45. AAAAhhh...the joys of being old. :) Ellabess is changing itself into a different restaurant concept (it's actually in the lobby of a hotel).

Treacle pudding (a traditional English dessert that is a steamed sponge cake with hot custard syrup) at the John Dory Oyster Bar. I was with my BFF for our annual holiday/end of the year dinner together. I'd been wanting to go to the John Dory for ages, so I'm glad I went with her. She's cool with one of the bartenders, Ben, who's a very nice guy (and comped us a drink or maybe two. I don't want to get him in trouble).

Chili Hot Chocolate from Vandaag. You really can taste the chili! I was meeting up with my friend, Lady M, who is about to become a Mommy! I'm excited for her.

Happy Weekend!

Food Porn Friday - Clinton Street Baking Company

I believe that someone once asked what I would want to eat as my last meal. You all know I don't go into fits of hyperbole when describing food on this blog (okay, fine, maybe I do), but I have to say that I might want this dish right here to be my last breakfast with maybe a side of eggs or something.

This is Pancake Month at New York's Clinton Street Baking Company, and I specifically waited for the day they'd be serving their banana pancakes.

Banana Pancakes with Bavarian cream, toasted coconut and warm maple butter on the side

I love banana pancakes in general, but the Bavarian cream really put it over the top. These are the some of the fluffiest, lightest, most perfectly textured pancakes I've ever tasted.

By the way, Clinton Street Baking Company produces Pancake Month each February, and every few days there is a different featured pancake of the day. As this post goes up, I may be returning for some coconut pancakes with kumquat syrup and bruleed bananas. Maybe.

If you ever decide to go to Clinton Street Baking Company for brunch on the weekend, don't do it. It's not because the food isn't wonderful. It is. However, this place is tiny, there are no reservations, and the waits are infamous (sound familiar?). Don't say that I didn't warn you. Actually, you can get their regular pancakes all day, so I suggest breakfast for dinner as your m.o. for actually getting a taste of these bad boys with a reasonable wait.

Do you like pancakes? What's your favorite kind? How long would you wait for them?

Clinton Street Baking Company

4 Clinton Street

New York, NY

Happy Weekend!

Food Porn Friday - Peaches

I like southern food, but I had a really bad run in with grits when I was a kid. The woman who babysat me would make them, and I would refuse to eat them. Grits were like tasteless mush to me. I swore them off for years until probably a few years ago. I don't think we really have a Caribbean equivalent (others who may know this, feel free to check me on that).

I finally had a chance to go to Peaches, a restaurant in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. Bed-Stuy (as it's called here) is changing very rapidly. It's definitely not the same Bed-Stuy that the Notorious B.I.G. once mentioned in his songs. I think it bodes well for the neighborhood, but change can be hard, too. That's for another post.

If you are looking for a laid back southern jazz brunch, please come here. The band was great albeit a little loud for such a small space. It was still a nice atmosphere (Jazz for free? Thank you!), and I loved my dish.

Grits & Blackened Catfish

with spicy tomato salsa

I've said before that I'm not a southern food aficionado, but these grits were goooood. Silky and buttery. The catfish was seasoned wonderfully (I don't care if it's a bottom feeder). Even though I had overcome it before, I have definitely been cured of my grits phobia. :)

Happy Weekend!

Peaches

393 Lewis Avenue

Brooklyn, New York

Food Porn Friday /In My 'Hood - Smashburger

Midwesterners, you've been holding out on me. You didn't tell me that I'd fall in love with Smashburger. I feel somewhat cheated, but also quite lucky, that the only branch in New York City is a quick walk away from my home. Five Guys, based out of the DC/Maryland/VA area, has also opened two shops relatively close to me; AND Brooklyn's first Shake Shack, with its perpetually long lines in Manhattan and elsewhere, will be opening close by, too. We're about to have one big burger glut here in Brooklyn. Maybe that's not such a bad thing. :)

I can say that I appreciate Smashburger for the fact that it's a clean and simple burger. I tend to order the Classic, which comes with lettuce, tomato and onion with melted cheese on the burger. Sometimes when there are too many toppings on a burger I feel as if someone is trying to hide something.

The accompanying Smash Fries are worth it. In general, I wish these fries were tad less oily and had even more of the rosemary that gets sprinkled on top. Please be healthier than me, and just get the sweet potato fries.

Have any new fast-casual restaurants or food shops from other regions of the country (or even parts of the world) opened up near you lately?

Smashburger

80 DeKalb Avenue

Brooklyn, New York

Happy Weekend!

Food Porn Friday - Newport's Franklin Spa

For breakfast/brunch in Newport, Rhode Island, Husband J and I have a soft spot for the Franklin Spa. It specializes in breakfast and lunch with a major emphasis on the breakfast foods. It's no-frills, old school, and usually busy. To avoid the crowds, definitely go super early or on the later side. However, don't sleep in too much or decide you'd like to have a late lunch because it closes at 2pm (1:30pm on Sunday). We were worried it might be mobbed since it was recently featured in the New York Times' "36 Hours in Newport, Rhode Island" article earlier in the summer, but it's still the same old Franklin Spa. That's a good thing.

Here's what we had during our last visit:

Blueberry Stuffed French Toast

Husband J didn't realize that it would have this very rich cream cheese filling, but it was not overly sweet. The blueberries were big, luscious and fresh.

Breton Poached Eggs

Poached eggs, steamed spinach, lobster, hollandaise sauce with home fries

I prefer savory breakfast dishes and just sneak bites of Husband J's sweet items, if he orders any. Lobster with poached eggs just seems so decadent in the morning, doesn't it?

If you're in Newport and want a breakfast menu with unique items, a bottomless cup of coffee (if you drink it), and the feeling of a diner from long ago at a great value, then check out the Franklin Spa. Thanks to my in-laws for telling us on to this place. :)

Franklin Spa

229 Spring Street

Newport, Rhode Island

Happy Weekend!

Food Porn Friday - More Birthday Eating

Okay, so I lied a little about the continued birthday mentions. Here's some more celebratory food. In all my birthday celebrations consisted of my BFF and I going out for some apps; I bought some celebratory cupcakes; I had a nice meal for myself and one with Husband J at Marea. Phew! This is perhaps why I am on what I call a "Reset Week". I'm going to talk more about what that is some time.

Grande Piatto Misto Di Salumi & Formaggi at La Piazza at Eataly (for more info on Eataly, check out this post)

BFF and I hung out at the marble tables right in the center of Eataly's La Piazza. It was fun to stand and eat cheese, good bread, salumi and the most amazing honey ever (amaretto honey!!). It did get a little tiring to stand after awhile, but it was still fun. I felt very...Italian. :)

Robicelli's Cupcakes

I only ate one on my birthday. I saved the other for the next day. I have some semblance of restraint. :)

left: Southern Belle (banana bourbon cake, vanilla buttercream, brown butter-bourbon pecans), right: Tiramisu (espresso soaked cake, espresso ganache, marscapone buttercream, cocoa powder)

Sticky Date Cake at Colonie

Colonie is my favorite new restaurant in Brooklyn. Each time I've been, I've forgotten my camera. Totally smart, I know. I love this dessert.

The ice cream tastes like buttermilk!

Don't worry. All of this eating was over a five day period, and I've been resting my stomach ever since. :)

Happy Weekend!

Food Porn Friday/In My 'Hood - Robicelli's Cupcakes

I think we've already covered the fact that I love cupcakes. It's not because it's a trend. It's really because I love cake and frosting. As I mentioned before, I'd fallen in love with Robicelli's cupcakes back in March. They have over 160 flavors that are rotated weekly, so let's just say it's going to take me quite some time to eat my way through their inventory. :)

Why I like Robicelli's:

1. They pay attention to the cake just as much as the frosting. The cake portion of every cupcake I've tasted so far has been moist and flavorful. I think some cupcake bakers think you'll just enjoy the frosting, so they don't need to provide quality cake. Robicelli's recognizes that a good cupcake has got to get both elements right.

2. They take the time to develop interesting flavors and textures instead of selling the same old same old.

Here are some of the flavors that I picked up at their DeKalb Market shop.

Chicken & Waffle

I actually already wrote about this one. That's an actual piece of chicken. Cool! Yes, it does taste fabulous, although I did eat the chicken separately from the cupcake.

Butterbeer

Butterscotch soaked cake, butterscotch butter cream, edible gold dust

Yes, that is a Harry Potter reference. This was my favorite of the bunch.

Ebinger

Chocolate cake, chocolate custard buttercream, chocolate glaze, cake crumbs

This cupcake is for the chocolate lovers!! When I bought these cupcakes, it was one of the hottest days of the year thus far, so I think the frosting was starting to slip. Oops! I'm not a big chocolate cake fan, but this was actually my second favorite. The custard buttercream tastes like you're biting into chocolate custard melded with soft cake.

Bea Arthur

Black coffee infused chocolate cake, cheesecake buttercream, espresso ganache

Can you tell it was hot in our apartment?

I had to take a pic of this one before Husband J ate it! They actually have cupcakes named after all of the "Golden Girls" actresses. AWESOME! I've tried the Estelle Getty, which is a more subtle almond flavor. I haven't seen the Betty White one though. Hmm...

Robicelli's (available all over the city. Check their website for locales near you)

@ DeKalb Market

322 Flatbush Avenue Extension

Brooklyn, New York

Happy Weekend!

Food Porn Friday - Baohaus

I've seen Tawainese gua bao sandwiches before. What pushed me to finally try them was being intrigued by Eddie Huang, the owner of Baohaus. For some reason, this guy seems like a kindred spirit: a former lawyer running away from anything having to do with being a lawyer and a lover of classic hip hop (check out some of his statements from a recent New York Magazine article on Asian American male identity and his often very funny and thought-provoking blog. He's an interesting guy). One article called him "the Jay-Z of the NYC restaurant scene." Not bad, Mr. Huang.

After closing down his last restaurant, Xiao Ye ('cause of pesky Four Loko issues), he's been focusing on the teeny subterranean sandwich shop, Baohaus. Just so you know:

There's not much seating.

I hope you like hip hop 'cause that will be your background music.

You could get gua bao cheaper elsewhere.

They were running a special with three baos and a drink included.

From left to right: Haus bao (hanger steak bao with crushed peanut, Haus relish and Taiwanese red sugar), Chairman bao (braised Berkshire pork belly with crushed peanut, Haus relish and Taiwanese red sugar), and the Uncle Jesse (pan fried organic tofu coated in sweet potato starch with Haus sauce, crushed peanut and Taiwanese red sugar)

What Baohaus does get right is the way they cook their meat fillings. Tender, well seasoned meat should be the basis of any sandwich. I actually wish the sandwiches were bigger on the whole. As for the toppings, I think the added sugar might have been a bit too much sweet. I enjoy sweet-savory combinations, but they need to be balanced.

My drink was a sarsaparilla soda. I've definitely never had one of these before. The chef and I were talking about the fact that it kinda tasted like Dr. Pepper.

I'm going to try more of Eddie Huang's take on traditional Taiwanese dishes. The staff that works at Baohaus is pretty friendly, and I had a great conversation with them about Brooklyn and secret sauces. Nice guys. Eddie Huang's actually opening a new Baohaus location in the East Village.

Baohaus

137 Rivington Street

New York, NY

Happy Weekend, everyone!

Food Porn Friday - Il Laboratorio del Gelato

I'm not sure what it's like where you are, but we are having a ridiculous heat wave in the northeastern U.S. right now. It's 95 degrees Farenheit as I'm writing this and will go up to 100 tomorrow. Just walking 15 minutes outside turned me into something akin to a wet mop. I was running an errand and happened to be passing by the new brick and mortar shop for Il Laboratorio del Gelato. I was surely about to wilt, and this was like seeing an oasis in the desert.

This gelato producer has been primarily a wholesaler of gelato for quite some, but this shiny, new shop will definitely have me coming back (even if it's just to stop and take advantage of the samples and air conditioning).

The space itself is pretty sparse and industrial looking, but honestly, if you're there for the gelato, do you really care all that much?

Simple stainless steel benches

Also this place is not about the usual gelato flavors only (stracciatella, vanilla, chocolate, etc.) I peeped some flavors that I would not have even thought of.

Apple Calvados

Calvados is a French apple-based brandy

Turkish Fig

MMMMmmmm......

I ended up getting the small, which is two scoops for $4.50 (I never said this place was cheap). Turkish Fig? How could I resist? I also tried the Toasted Almond.

The Turkish Fig was rich with bits of fig throughout and a just right amount of sweet. The Toasted Almond was a little too light on the sweet factor. There was really no sweetness at all actually, but the cold richness of the cream was enough to satisfy me on this hot day I was experiencing.

I think I'll have to find some more ice cream to stay cool for the next few days. :)

Il Laboratorio del Gelato

188 Ludlow Street (at the corner of Houston Street)

New York, NY

Happy Weekend & stay cool wherever you are!

Food Porn Friday - Zabb Elee

I can't believe that I've never written about a Thai restaurant here on the blog! Huh?! Thai food was the first cuisine that I would eat out with any regularity. It's pretty shocking that I've just gotten to writing about it now.

Zabb Elee in Manhattan is actually the new outpost for this Queens Thai restaurant. This isn't your ordinary Thai restaurant where you'll find Drunken Noodles aka Pad Kee Mao. Zabb Elee actually specializes in food from Thailand's northeast region, Isan. The cuisine is less about stir fries and curries (I think some other diners in the restaurant were a little disappointed not to see any pad thai), and there is no shortage of fiery flavor.

To try a couple of things, I got their lunch special which is a good deal at $9. Even with this deal, most dishes on the regular menu are less than $10 making Zabb Elee a pretty good value.

My lunch special

From left to right: Rice, Larb Kai, Toam Yum Kradook Moo

For the lunch special you pick a "salad", i.e. a cold dish as well as a main. I'd heard that the larb was very good here, so I went with their chicken version.

Larb Kai

Larb Kai is a salad of minced chicken with mint, lime and fish sauce. It's also available in beef and pork versions at Zabb Elee. Larb is actually Laotian and considered its national dish (portions of the northeastern part of Thailand used to be a part of Laos).

I loved this dish. It's light, clean and refreshing for a summer day and balanced between savory, spicy and tart. Zabb Elee has levels of spice from 1 to 5. If you are like me and can take spice, I'd say you'll be fine with level 3 (it makes your lips tingle with spicy goodness. Fun!)

Toam Yum Kradook Moo

Small pieces of spareribs, mushroom, tomato, cabbage, string bean, basil, and fresh chili in a lemongrass broth

While this was a simple brothy soup, I really did enjoy it even if it wasn't the best day for soup (we've hit prime summer here in NYC). The broth is just comforting, and I could see how anyone wouldn't mind a little extra sweating for these soothing yet pungent flavors.

Everything about this meal at Zabb Elee made me feel like I could hit the city streets afterwards and not feel weighed down. I appreciate that.

Zabb Elee (I went to the Manhattan location)

75 Second Avenue (between 4th & 5th Streets)

New York, NY

Food Porn Friday - Four & Twenty Blackbirds

***I have this sneaking suspicion that there is something wrong with my camera. I'm slightly freaked out about it 'cause there are some pictures I know I took, and I have no idea where they are. I just bought this sucker last summer. Oh boy!***

Apparently, the whole "pie is going to be the new cupcake" meme that I've been reading about for months is getting kid of old. Meh. I'm tired of food predictions or supposed trends. Just eat what you want. I don't see cupcakes going away anytime soon.

Either way, I felt I needed to eat some good pie to really understand why pie has become a larger part of our collective food cravings lately. I like pie. I don't love it, but I like a good sweet potato pie for Thanksgiving courtesy of Mom. I've been meaning to head to Four & Twenty Blackbirds in the Gowanus section of Brooklyn for quite some time. This sweet shop specializes in pies of all kinds focused around a seasonal menu.

I am more of a fruit pie person, so I went with the Salted Caramel Apple as that was the only fruit pie they had by the slice that day.

I love a pie with a hearty crust. You can tell that at Four & Twenty Blackbirds, the crust is just as important as the fillings. The crust was buttery, flaky and with a thickness that some pie makers often don't take the time and effort to make. I did like the apples, but to be quite honest, I didn't really taste the salted caramel. It was still some great apple pie though.

Other fruit pies they have available right now (just not during my visit):

Strawberry Balsamic

Rhubarb

Apple Rhubarb

I was truly looking forward to strawberry balsamic, but I guess I will have to wait.

I also bought home the Lavendar Honey Custard pie to try later. I was hoping to have a pic of that, but it disappeared somehow (see rant above). Here's a pic of their Salty Honey pie below from someone else.

(source)

Anyhoo, I've never really had custard pies before, and the idea of incorporating lavender into food intrigued me more than anything. I didn't like it at first, but after I got used to the initial lavender taste, it was actually quite tasty. All I can say is that the lavender honey custard pie was VERY sweet, and I needed about three sittings for me to finish it. The lavender infused with cream flavor did some odd things to my tongue, and after awhile I got tired of the taste. My tongue was overloaded (I guess it IS possible). I don't know if I'm making any sense. If not, please let me know in the comments section.

On this Friday, I have to ask: what is your favorite pie?

Happy Weekend!

Four and Twenty Blackbirds

439 Third Avenue (at 8th Street)

Brooklyn, NY

Food Porn Friday - Miss Lily's

I'm hard on Caribbean restaurants, especially when I think they are not going to produce food that resembles the down-home Caribbean food that I'm used to. Haute Italian, French, etc., I'll give you a pass; but if you're going to serve Caribbean food, it better be good. Period.

When I heard about Miss Lily's opening in SoHo, I was a little wary. I'm not going to lie. I'd been to other wanna-be Caribbean restaurants and was a little disappointed. If you want good down-home Caribbean food, you go to the Flatbush area in Brooklyn or parts of the Bronx. Not SoHo. Yes, I am a little biased. :(

I stopped by Miss Lily's, and at the very least, I loved the vibe and decor as soon as I stepped in. Instead of the endless Rain-pocalypse we've been having the past several days in New York, it was actually a gorgeous day.

The Grace Jones poster. Love it!

I felt a little better when I saw my favorite drink on the menu. I love Ting (a Jamaican grapefruit soda). I practically live off it when I visit my family in Antigua. I can actually get it in markets here in New York City, but it reminds me of the Caribbean.

I looked up and saw that Miss Lily's was offering a pretty good selection of Caribbean drinks that my biased self didn't think it would.

Coconut water - essentially the clear juice from a coconut.

Irish Moss - WHAT?! Okay, Miss Lily's, I get it. I'm not a fan of Irish Moss drink. It's a mix of an algae called Chondrus Crispus (yes, we keep it real interesting herb-wise in the Caribbean), milk/condensed milk and most commonly vanilla flavoring.

Ginger Beer - It's a non-alcoholic ginger drink usually made of a mix of strained, mashed ginger, water, vanilla extract and sugar. The homestyle Caribbean way is not to have it carbonated (it's usually carbonated when mass produced). I think I'll get that next time.

Also they had pineapple soda. Remember when I went crazy for pineapple soda?

After noticing all of those drinks, I realized that Miss Lily's was serious. Bring on the Jerk Chicken then!

Clockwise from the top: rice and beans, jerk chicken, mango chutney, cabbage salad

As I've mentioned before, it's hard to have a meal in a Caribbean home without some kind of rice and beans. Usually it's red beans (habichuelas or kidney beans, if you want to call them that). I know that in Jamaica, rice and beans are often cooked in coconut milk. Miss Lily's got that right. While the rice didn't look all that great, it tasted great.

The cabbage salad was blah. Just some raw cabbage thrown on a plate. The chutney was new. Jamaican friends, is this common?

The star of the plate is the jerk chicken. I will say that the cooks at Miss Lily's know how to cook chicken. This piece was so ridiculously fresh and juicy. I'm docking a point for the jerk sauce being in a squeeze bottle though, and I guess this is where the authenticity gets lost. Jerk chicken is supposed to make your lips want to fall off from the spice, and I think it's best when the sauce is actually rubbed on the skin before cooking. That being said, for people with spice handicaps, then I guess it's good that they can control the heat. The jerk sauce was a good level of spice, but I had to slather it on for my tastes.

I'll be back to Miss Lily's. Any place that does Caribbean food well can get my business. Apparently it's a good place for some celebrity sightings, too.

Miss Lily's

132 West Houston Street

New York, New York

Food Porn Friday- A Vegan Afternoon with Mom

****Hello New Followers! Thanks for taking the time to follow me. Please comment and/or say hello, as I like to know my readers. Thanks again!***

A Happy Belated Birthday to my Mom! She's such a cutie and a young 'un. I think when she was my age I was 9. DOH! I want to take this time to publicly thank her for my love of food especially healthy, whole food. If anything, my Mom taught me balance. Indulge a little but eat great home cooked meals full of fresh veggies, and juice your vegetables if you can. My Mom flirted off and on with being a vegetarian and finally made the switch over 10 years ago. In the past several years, she's begun to become a vegan and avoid milk products in particular (although she still likes the occasional leather shoe. Can she be considered a vegan?). She's been a little disappointed that I have been incorporating meat back into my diet. I can't be the perfect daughter. :)

For her birthday, it was hard to find a place to take her. NYC is full of vegetarian places, but many of them don't have the special occasion feel to them. Husband J and I took Mom to Pure Food & Wine, a raw, vegan organic place, last year but honestly weren't feeling it. It was super expensive, and I just think I like my food cooked if it's not a salad, sushi, carpaccio, etc. Did I mention it was a little overpriced? This year I decided to take her to one of our old veggie standbys, Zen Palate, a pan-Asian vegan restaurant.

There are multiple Zen Palate locations, but I miss the old one in Union Square. It was a bi-level space with modern Asian-inspired decor. The restaurant lost the space, and now it's a TGI Friday's. Ugh! I don't hate chains (Hello, Cheesecake Factory!!!), but I had one of the most inedible meals of my entire life at a TGI Friday's. Anyhoo, another Zen Palate opened up in the same area, and I decided to treat Mom to one of our old favorites.

So, how was it? A little disappointing.

Kale & Seaweed Salad with tofu and ginger vinaigrette for Mom

She thought it was way too cold for a salad. I agreed with her. Salad should be cold, but they shouldn't be downright frigid.

Wonton Soup for me

Those definitely aren't pork wontons. Most likely seasoned gluten.

Curry Supreme for Mom

Soy with potatoes and carrots in a mild curry sauce with brown rice and a veggie spring roll. My Mom laughs at me when I take pics of food. She started eating anyway. Oh well...it's my Mom. :)

Rose Petals for me

Soy Crepes with Wolfberry Seeds (they looked like red beans) and garden vegetables (carrots, cabbage & broccoli) in rice ginger sauce with brown rice and a veggie spring roll

(There are some dishes with gluten protein and seitan as well. We both seemed to gravitate towards soy that day.)

My main course was good not great. The sauce was fine but way too thick and almost goopy. My Mom asked, "Do the same people run the place?" Unfortunately, the non-existent "I'm too busy doing other things" kind of service didn't help either. Our good memories of Zen Palate were gone with their old location.

After Zen Palate, I surprised my Mom by taking her to Babycakes, a vegan bakery in the Lower East Side. My Mom is an awesome baker and has been experimenting lately with vegan baking (I don't think the baking has rubbed off on me yet :) ). I was a little skeptical about a vegan, gluten-free, in some cases sugar-free bakery. Aren't some of those things the good parts about baked goods? Hmm...

The Babycakes Philosophy

Babycakes shop. It's teeny!

We grabbed several things to try at home.

Spelt Vanilla Cupcake (Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Soy-Free)

Considering that it's spelt and not even flour, I have to say that this was pretty decent. For those of you with gluten intolerance this isn't for you; but if you have wheat allergies, it might be just the trick. The conclusion that my mother and I came to was that you need to eat the cake with the frosting. They need each other. Really.

Carrot Cake with Vanilla Frosting (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Soy-Free)

Not bad. The cake was actually a nice moist but springy consistency. I sent most of it home with Mom.

Agave Brownie (Gluten Free, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Soy-Free)

Nope. Sorry. It was more like a chocolate muffin than a brownie but there was really not much of a chocolate taste at all. Actually I couldn't really figure out WHAT that taste was. I know when you're not using eggs that it can be hard to replicate creaminess, and when you're trying not to use traditional sweeteners, you start to lose some of the traditional tastes of chocolate. I think that's the case here. Not tasty (and I really wanted it to be!).

Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwich (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Soy-Free)

Awesome! Amazing vanilla "cream" filling. Smooth and sweet. The supple cookie was able to sustain all of that filling, and the filling didn't overpower any of that good chocolate taste. It blended well just like a sandwich. I'm going to go back specifically for these.

Any vegan bakers out there? What are your sources for good vegan baking? My Mom is always looking to try a new recipe. Any good vegan restaurants or bakeries near you?

Happy Weekend, all! Please enjoy your last days of Passover and Easter/Resurrection Sunday.

Zen Palate

There are multiple Zen Palate locations in Manhattan. We went to the Union Square one.

115 East 18th Street (between Park Avenue South & Irving Place)

New York, New York

Babycakes

248 Broome Street (between Orchard & Ludlow Street)

New York, New York

There are also locations in Los Angeles and Walt Disney World (alrighty then!)

Food Porn Friday - Doughnut Plant

I've never really been a big donut fan. (By the way, do you spell it doughnut or donut? Please let me know.) I didn't like red wine either, and then I went to Napa and realized that it wasn't because red wine is bad. It was because I hadn't tasted GOOD red wine. Maybe that's been the case with doughnuts?Also I felt like one day all I was reading were articles about doughnuts. Perhaps the universe was sending me a sign. Off I went to Doughnut Plant in the Lower East Side.

First word of advice: Do not come here on a weekend. It's mobbed. I repeat there is a line out the door. It's really not that big of a space anyway, and there is no real seating, just some banquettes. Tea, coffee and milk are drink options. I brought my doughnuts home.

The menu is divided into yeast doughnuts, cake doughnuts and those with jelly fillings. I forgot this when I ordered and got more yeast ones than I intended, but I can always go back, right?

Yeast Doughnuts

Valhrona Chocolate

This is essentially a light, chewy donut with a chocolate glaze. This is great for someone like me who has her moments with chocolate (some days love, others not so much).

Glazed Doughnut

I was so ready to take a bite that I forgot to take a pic beforehand.

Just your traditional glazed doughnut but WAAY better. What was blowing my mind was the freshness of the doughnuts. Doughnut Plant makes its doughnuts right there in the store (makes you think of Krispy Kreme, doesn't it?), so I shouldn't be surprised. Also the fact that I wasn't clutching my jaw due to the sweetness was a major plus.

Creme Brulee

Creme filled insides

My people, this doughnut is pure brilliance. There is a coating that is a crackly glaze in the same way as a creme brulee dessert just replicated on a doughnut. Genius, I tell you!! The creme did not compete with the glaze and tasted like Boston Creme, smooth with an understated tanginess.

Cake Doughnuts

Tres Leches

Honestly, I think this one was my favorite. I am sucker for things like dulce de leche or which emphasize vanilla or sweet cream flavors. Being one of the cake doughnuts, this one was spongy yet soft with a minute bit of crunch when you bit into it. True to its name, there were drips of milk on the bottom of the doughnut. I should have gotten five of these.

I even found some cream inside.

These four doughnuts are just the tip of the iceberg. Check out the names of these other flavors:

Blackout

Peanut Butter Glaze with Blackberry Jelly

Pistachio

I think I'll need a few months before I go back and try some new ones. :)

Doughnut Plant

379 Grand Street

New York, New York

Doughnut Plant donuts are available all over NYC and globally.

Happy Weekend!